Nursing

Vestibular swings are therapeutic devices designed to address a variety of vestibular disorders. VRT, or vestibular rehabilitation therapy, is the first line of treatment for most patients with this type of condition. The exercises designed by the therapist help to retrain the brain of the patient to compensate for their condition. Often VRT will make it possible for patients to lead a normal life without requiring surgery. This therapy is usually provided by a physical or occupational therapist. [continue reading…]

An eating disorder is a condition which causes irregularities in the daily diet of the patient. This could include severe limitations of caloric intake or an excessive increase in consumption followed by ritualized purging. These disorders can effect men as well as women and typically develop during the teens or early adulthood. However, any of these disorders could develop at any point. There are several types of eating disorders; however, the most prevalent are anorexia and bulimia. [continue reading…]

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Alcoholics and drug addicts who are no long are actively using or drinking will often tell people they are recovering rather than reformed or cured. This is because addiction is a lifelong condition. Patients who are recovering alcoholics or drug addicts work very hard to refrain from going back to the destructive path they were once on. It is important that people become aware of the difficulties associated with using drugs or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, to know that there are options available to help with quitting, and that there are support programs to help them stay sober. [continue reading…]

Many areas of the country are experiencing record high temperatures and heat waves, which have coincided with lack of rain making this one of the hottest summers in recent memory. This means that more people will be suffering from heat exhaustion and heat stroke than ever before. Your patients may come in feeling ill without realizing it is due to the heat and professionals who are used to pushing themselves for their patients may inadvertently overdue their efforts and make themselves ill. [continue reading…]

If you are a nurse who specializes in dermatology, or want to find a position in the field, there are several places you can work. Learn more about these environments, connect with others in your field with professional organizations, stay up to date on the latest news with professional journals, and follow users in the field on Twitter. [continue reading…]

July is UV Safety Month, an appropriate time as most of the nation is focused on getting outside to enjoy the sun. With new guidelines about sunscreen issued from the FDA it is more important than ever that everyone work together to make sure the public is well informed about the necessity of sun protection and exactly how to best protect themselves and their family.

Pharmacists

Make a sunscreen display to show customers the new recommendations by the FDA. A chart format or a Q&A format are good choices because they can easily be skimmed and will force you to break the information into more manageable pieces that consumers will be more likely to understand. This is also an excellent place to move your sunscreen selection to for the month of July. Next to the display of sunscreens, provide easy to understand definitions about the claims the sunscreens make such as waterproof, water resistant, broad spectrum, and what SPF actually means. Brochures that clients can take with them with the new information could also be included with each purchase.

Nurses

Nurses and doctors can devote some of their bulletin board space this month to UV Safety with a focus on their specialty. Pediatric offices can display what children and infants need, dermatology offices can discuss the warning signs of too much UV exposure, and ophthalmologists’ offices can show the dangers UV radiation poses to eyesight and how to best protect your eyes.

Teachers

Although most schools close for the summer, they don’t always close completely. Summer programs, summer school, and summer training or extracurricular activities may still be in full force. Take time at the beginning of the month to show students exactly how much sunscreen should be applied and how often it should be reapplied. Physically taking the time to show them what an ounce of sunscreen looks like will be much more beneficial to students than simply discussing the new guidelines.

Therapists

Many physical and occupational therapists recommend aquatic exercises to supplement therapy session, some even provide aquatic services. If you recommend patients to swim or to complete exercises in the water be sure you talk to them this month about the importance of properly using sunscreen. The FDA has said sunscreens will not be able to claim to be waterproof in the future. Make sure your patients know they need to reapply sunscreen every 40 to 80 minutes (depending on the type they use) if they are in the water or sweating.

How do you plan to make your patients more aware of the dangers of UV radiation? Do you recommend specific sunscreens or products that limit UV exposure? What do you think of the new FDA guidelines for sunscreens?

National Nurses Day is May 6 and National Nurses Week is celebrated from May 6 to May 12. Learn more about the history of this celebration and use some of these celebratory ideas to help plan a celebration for your coworkers or yourself. [continue reading…]